Kyuhyun has been busy citing references from all the books he could borrow before the Christmas holiday comes and now he’s trying to create a new thesis proposal worthy of Professor Van Wijk approval. Obviously Eungi had fired herself from being his assistant and she refuses to help Kyuhyun with his proposal since she’s avoiding the term ‘nepotism’ regarding her professor’s class.

While he’s burying his face in his books, Eungi’s preparing some salads for the Christmas party in the professor’s house tonight. It’s not too often for her to have people around her to celebrate Christmas and she’s too excited to pass this one—especially since Professor Van Wijk promised her a present under his tree for this year.

“You’re not even going to help me with this cucumber?” Eungi raises her voice from the kitchen.

“No can do, noona. When I said I gotta impress, I gotta impress.” He replies without taking his sight off the book.

She puts down the cucumber in her hands and joins to sit with him. “It’s so weird to see you being like this.”

“You mean studying?”

She nods, “You used to rely on the internet so much.”

“That’s not too reliable these days, for the plagiarism reason.” He finally gives up on trying to concentrate on his book. “You won’t let me finish this book, do you?”

She smiles playfully, “You can read them before you go to bed, what’s the point of spending times with me if you’re busy reading?” Eungi pouts as her effort to be cute in front of him.

“Noona, cut it out, cute doesn’t suit your personality.” He pinches her cheek, “And we’re spending our times together the way we used to, the difference is, you were the one that usually holds the book while I’m the one busy played games in my laptop.”

“I know.” she looks down to the table, “But I miss you.”

Kyuhyun laughs, ever since they got back together, he’s been seeing a lot of changes in her and he can’t really determine whether she’s changing for the better or for the worse—what he knows is that she becomes very needy. He can’t blame her for that, he understands and he also misses her so much that he’s dying to spend every waking hour with her. But he’s a changed person also, he can’t be careless about his time and his life anymore. His study relies on his shoulders and so does his father’s business, Kyuhyun still thinks that he should divide himself into two people to be able to finish all of his tasks perfectly. And here comes Eungi with her innocent demand to constantly be with him.

“Why are you laughing? Is my yearning towards you a joke?” The playfulness in her tone is gone and replace with a real annoyance.

“No, it’s not a joke to me.” He reaches out his hand and hold hers on the table. “What I laugh about is how much we’ve changed now and it’s funny because we switch place now. I used to be the one that determined for more time with you.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Why are you sorry? It’s okay. I miss you too noona, I miss you a lot and that’s why I spend every second of my waking and sleeping hour with you..”

“But you’re busy. I understand.” She nods, “But it’s holiday and It’s our first Christmas together, it might not be important to you, but it’s very important to me. Can we please do it right?”

“Tell me.” He gets up from his seat and walks to the back of her chair to give her a hug from behind, “What’s your idea of a perfect Christmas?”

Eungi leans her head on his body and holds his hands that’s around her shoulder. “Just like the ones in movies, preparing the food together, exchanging gifts, staying late in front of the fire place with eggnogs in our hands.”

“Wow, you watch too many Christmas movies.” He kisses her head, “Fine, I’ll close all of my books for two days and dedicate the whole two days’ time for you.”

“Really?” She grins with excitement in her eyes. “So you’ll help me julienne the cucumber?”

“No, I’ll help you with anything other than cooking. Why are we preparing the salad anyway? We’re having diner in Professor Van Wijk’s house.”

“They love my twist on the huzaren sla that I combined with some Korean spices, that’s why they asked me to prepare it.”

“I’ll clean up then,” He moves back to his chair and begins tidying up his books. “Noona, I know you refuses to help me, but can you at least check before I hand it out to your professor?”

“Only if you behave nicely.” She grins then gets up to continues preparing her salad ingredients.

*

The Cristmas party in Professor Van Wijk’s house turns out to be a small family gathering for him. None of his three sons could make up time to be with him and Eungi has been the only one that’s cheering him up with her presence. When they arrived, Mrs. Van Wijk—Poek, immediately takes Eungi to the kitchen to help her prepares the roast beef she’s been making, leaving Kyuhyun and the professor alone. They met a few times in class and during one-on-one revision time, but this is actually the first time they spend their time together without trying to discuss a thesis.

To release the tension, the old man takes out one of his whiskey collection and offers Kyuhyun to have a drink together in the sunroom at the back of his house. He proudly shows off the rare whiskey he got as a gift from Eungi when she returned from Edinburgh before he took two glasses for them to drink.

“So, you made me lose my best assistant.” He pours the whiskey into two glasses and gives one to Kyuhyun.

“I’m sorry about that, I didn’t know it’ll lead into that.” He turns away while sipping his drink, no matter how much he tries to adapt to western formality, Kyuhyun still can’t leave behind some Korean norm in his everyday life.

“I hope you’re planning to stay this time around.” He clears his throat, “I’m sorry if I sound too nosey, it’s just that I really consider her as my daughter.”

Kyuhyun nods, “I understand. And I never planned to leave her in the first place, but things went wrong and a lot of misunderstanding happened.”

“Hmm, she told me.” Professor Van Wijk lifts the bottle to pour more Whiskey into Kyuhyun’s glass. “I’m so glad you two finally figured it out.”

Professor Van Wijk raises his glass and Kyuhyun politely clings his glass into his and takes another gulp of the whiskey.

“Do you have any special plan for her anytime soon?” He chuckles, “Ah, I’m being too straightforward again, forgive me for being too Dutch. It’s just that I’m not getting any younger and she once asked me—when she was graduated—that one day if she’d ever find the right man, I should be the one that’s walking her down the aisle.”

Kyuhyun chokes on his whiskey but quickly recovers from the discomfort he feels in his throat.

“Is that a ‘no’?” Professor Van Wijk continues.

Kyuhyun clears his throat before he speaks again, “Wow, I really need to adjust myself to the bluntness of the Dutch.” He chuckles awkwardly, “And ‘yes’ is my answer. I do picture myself to have that kind of future with her—I mean she’s everything I could ask for and she’s a real gift for me. But not in a short term.”

“Because you’re not done studying?”

“That, and because some other things too.” He moves uncomfortable in his seat. “As we know, she’s an amazing person, right?”

Van Wijk nods and pours himself another shot of whiskey for himself.

“I need to be at least half as good if I want to ask her to be my bride.” Kyuhyun looks down to his feet, feeling his face gets hotter once he talks about a marriage—something he never pictured he’d get involve in his life. “I can’t just come to her today and ask her to marry me in instant.”

“Why not? Don’t girls like that?”

“I have to be able to provide her with all the good food she wants to eat, I need to be able to buy her comfortable clothes and I have to put a roof on her head—those are the least thing I have to give her.” He bites his lips, slightly wondering why is he telling all these to the professor, “I can’t even provide her with enough luxury I used to get, how impudent would it be for me to ask her hand in marriage, while she’s making so much more than I do.”

“Ah! Now I see your concern.” The old man nods and offers Kyuhyun another shot of whiskey which he refuses.

“It’s a big deal, sir. I don’t want her to downgrade her lifestyle just because she’s living with me yet at the same time I don’t want her to provide me either.”

“The pride of a man.”

“Exactly.”

Professor Van Wijk nods along but then slide his chair closer to Kyuhyun, he lowers his head and whisper, “Do you really think you’re all that nothing in her eyes?”

“I have my reason.”

“Which is?”

“She’s amazing on her own but she also had an amazing lover before me. That’s a big competition right there.” Kyuhyun freely tells his worry. “I’m like this small” He pinches his thumb and forefinger together, “compare to that man.”

“You know what? I met that guy a few times and from several point of view, I have to agree with you.” Professor Van Wijk smirks, “He wasn’t as smart as you to be honest, he’s charming and polite, yes but it’s something we learn as we grow up so it doesn’t really count. He only won in two aspects compare to you: He’s confident for what he has and he died for her—so that kinda gives an illusion of an unreplaceable love affair.”

Kyuhyun grabs the whiskey bottle on the round table and pours himself a shot, gulp it down in instant and takes a deep breath. Professor Van Wijk is exactly like Eungi at some point, he knows how to manipulate the ego in Kyuhyun and use it a weapon against himself—did Eungi learned it from this old man?

“Look, seems like you’re finally into this conversation as much as I do.” Professor Van Wijk pours Kyuhyun another shot for them, “What I’m saying is, you’re important for her. She ruined herself using you as her excuse, that showed her effort to make you feel guilty over what you’ve done whilst at the same time wished you to come and safe her from herself—I know her, and she never crossed the line when it comes to consuming drugs and stuff—but she did, she’s that hopelessly in love with you.”

The thought of Eungi ruining herself disturbs Kyuhyun one more time, he hates the fact the she’s doing that just to prove a point.

Professor Van Wijk gets up from his seat and asks Kyuhyun to seat still while he grabs something. Minutes later the old man takes